The statement, shared on social media, said there are no other parties involved and asked for privacy, adding they will not be making further public comments. A source close to the couple said they toasted each other after releasing the statement and there was no big fallout, just a gradual growing apart. Vernon Kay addressed the split on his BBC Radio 2 show, thanking listeners for their well wishes.
According to Daily Mirror - 3am Showbiz, Vernon Kay described the support as appreciated during a difficult time. The separation comes years after Kay was involved in a sexting scandal with model Rhian Sugden. Tess Daly was reportedly devastated by the revelation but chose to work through it.
You've installed belief in that child.
Sugden later said Kay 'got away with it' and that it ruined everything for her. The couple, who married in 2003, have two daughters. Conflicting reports put their ages at either 21 and 16 or 23 and 19.
Similarly, Vernon Kay's age is reported as either 51 or 52, while Tess Daly is 57. Daly hosted Strictly Come Dancing for 21 years before leaving at the end of the 2025 series and was made an MBE for services to broadcasting in November 2025. Kay has been hosting Radio 2's weekday morning show since 2023, which is the most listened to show on UK radio.
Thank you for all your well wishes.
A source told Closer magazine that Daly was desperate to travel the world with her husband. The separation announcement coincided with an emotional moment on Kay's radio show. During a discussion with country music singer Ashley McBryde, Kay became emotional.
McBryde had just performed at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Grand Ole Opry show hosted by Kay. She recalled meeting songwriter Carl Jackson over three decades ago at a concert and shared a recent encounter with a young fan named Sawyer June after a concert at the Opera House. Sawyer June, aged eight or nine, told McBryde she plays guitar, sings, writes songs, and is from Oklahoma.
44'. ' McBryde, who released her fifth studio album 'Wild' this month, won a Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance in 2023. What prompted the separation beyond growing apart remains unclear, and the exact ages of the family members are disputed.
It is also unknown whether the timing of the announcement affected Kay's emotional state during the interview, or if Daly and Kay will continue to appear together professionally.